AUSTIN — There’s no denying that Nick Offerman is a hot piece of comedy property right now. From his show stopping role as the iconic Ron Swanson to his celebrity power couple marriage to Megan Mullally (insofar as ubiquitous, beloved character actors can be considered a power couple), Offerman can really do no wrong at the moment. In fact, he could probably release an album of delta blues standards performed on kazoo, and have it shoot straight to the top of the iTunes bestseller list for weeks at a time.

That said, Offerman’s success is by no means unwarranted, as Thursday night’s fascinatingly bizarre, semi-experimental performance definitively indicated. A combination of folksy joke rock, low key diatribes on how to lead the self-actualized life, and hilarious inanities as only Offerman could, well, offer, the show left rabid Swansonities and curious newcomers alike with an insatiable appetite for all things Offerman.

With his lovely spouse Mullally providing warm up blues tunes, accompanied by a fabulous three piece band (Karen’s got quite a set of pipes on her, who knew?) the show positively oozed of the laidback divine so few comedy types can deliver with stark effectiveness. “Use your hands,” Offerman implored, in a valiant attempt to pull the audience offline and back into the realm of human usefulness. “Do woodworking, knit something. Rather than playing Draw Something….draw something!”

He raises a pretty valid point, and really, isn’t the best comedy of all the kind that elicits deep belly laughs as well as enriches? I’d certainly like to think so, for one. As soon as I knit the kind of hat that tips, I will gladly tip it to you, Sir Offerman.

About the Author

Emma Kat Richardson

Emma Kat Richardson is a Detroit native and freelance writer living in Austin, Texas. Her work has appeared in xoJane.com, Bitch, Alternative Press, Real Detroit Weekly, 944, and Bust.com. She’s enough of a comedy nerd and cat lady to have named her Maine Coon Michael Ian Cat. Follow her on twitter: @emmakat.